Experts have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use artificial intelligence to detect duplicate registrations and other irregularities in the voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections. They also warned that AI-generated false announcements, including fake notices of election postponement, could discourage voters from participating.
The concerns follow the circulation of AI-generated images during the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State. One image falsely presented voters as queuing to sell their votes, while another was shared as evidence of massive turnout in Ado-Ekiti. Fact-checkers from the Centre for Democracy and Development and the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition identified the images as AI-generated.
INEC recently disclosed that its biometric system had flagged 268,000 voter records over suspected AI-generated photographs and other irregularities. The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, said its Automated Biometric Identification System would identify multiple and underage registrations for human review and removal.
Bayode clarified that voters whose genuine photographs had been enhanced using AI applications would not automatically be excluded from the register. However, entirely AI-generated photographs would be removed. He also urged Nigerians to verify claims about election postponements or cancellations through INEC’s official communication platforms.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, has defended the use of AI in election management, saying it could improve voter registration, logistics, data analysis and electoral administration. However, he warned that generative AI could be exploited to create convincing fake audio, videos and announcements capable of misleading voters.
Experts also identified other uses of AI, including voter education in local languages, biometric identification, monitoring complaints and tracking election-related security threats.
A Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Babcock University, Oludele Awodele, recommended watermarking, deepfake detection tools and collaboration with social media platforms to identify and remove misleading content. He also called for sanctions against those responsible for creating and spreading harmful AI-generated material.
The Acting Director of the Safeguarding Centre, University of Lagos, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said AI could help identify sexually explicit deepfakes targeting women candidates and protect vulnerable groups. Certified information security professional Precious Olives also urged INEC, civil society organisations and security agencies to establish early-warning systems.
